TY - JOUR
T1 - Booster vaccination with Ad26.COV2.S or an Omicron-adapted vaccine in pre-immune hamsters protects against Omicron BA.2
AU - Swart, Maarten
AU - van der Lubbe, Joan
AU - Schmit-Tillemans, Sonja
AU - van Huizen, Ella
AU - Verspuij, Johan
AU - Gil, Ana Izquierdo
AU - Choi, Ying
AU - Daal, Chenandly
AU - Perkasa, Aditya
AU - de Wilde, Adriaan
AU - Claassen, Erwin
AU - de Jong, Rineke
AU - Wiese, Katrin E.
AU - Cornelissen, Lisette
AU - van Es, Marieke
AU - van Heerden, Marjolein
AU - Kourkouta, Eleni
AU - Tahiri, Issam
AU - Mulders, Michel
AU - Vreugdenhil, Jessica
AU - Feddes - de Boer, Karin
AU - Muchene, Leacky
AU - Tolboom, Jeroen
AU - Dekking, Liesbeth
AU - Juraszek, Jarek
AU - Vellinga, Jort
AU - Custers, Jerome
AU - Bos, Rinke
AU - Schuitemaker, Hanneke
AU - Wegmann, Frank
AU - Roozendaal, Ramon
AU - Kuipers, Harmjan
AU - Zahn, Roland
PY - 2023/3/16
Y1 - 2023/3/16
N2 - Since the original outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, several rapidly spreading SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have emerged. Here, we show that a single dose of Ad26.COV2.S (based on the Wuhan-Hu-1 spike variant) protects against the Gamma and Delta variants in naive hamsters, supporting the observed maintained vaccine efficacy in humans against these VOC. Adapted spike-based booster vaccines targeting Omicron variants have now been authorized in the absence of human efficacy data. We evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of Ad26.COV2.S.529 (encoding a stabilized Omicron BA.1 spike) in naive mice and in hamsters with pre-existing immunity to the Wuhan-Hu-1 spike. In naive mice, Ad26.COV2.S.529 elicited higher neutralizing antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2, compared with Ad26.COV2.S. However, neutralizing titers against the SARS-CoV-2 B.1 (D614G) and Delta variants were lower after primary vaccination with Ad26.COV2.S.529 compared with Ad26.COV2.S. In contrast, we found comparable Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 neutralizing titers in hamsters with pre-existing Wuhan-Hu-1 spike immunity after vaccination with Ad26.COV2.S, Ad26.COV2.S.529 or a combination of the two vaccines. Moreover, all three vaccine modalities induced equivalent protection against Omicron BA.2 challenge in these animals. Overall, our data suggest that an Omicron BA.1-based booster in rodents does not improve immunogenicity and efficacy against Omicron BA.2 over an Ad26.COV2.S booster in a setting of pre-existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
AB - Since the original outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, several rapidly spreading SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have emerged. Here, we show that a single dose of Ad26.COV2.S (based on the Wuhan-Hu-1 spike variant) protects against the Gamma and Delta variants in naive hamsters, supporting the observed maintained vaccine efficacy in humans against these VOC. Adapted spike-based booster vaccines targeting Omicron variants have now been authorized in the absence of human efficacy data. We evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of Ad26.COV2.S.529 (encoding a stabilized Omicron BA.1 spike) in naive mice and in hamsters with pre-existing immunity to the Wuhan-Hu-1 spike. In naive mice, Ad26.COV2.S.529 elicited higher neutralizing antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2, compared with Ad26.COV2.S. However, neutralizing titers against the SARS-CoV-2 B.1 (D614G) and Delta variants were lower after primary vaccination with Ad26.COV2.S.529 compared with Ad26.COV2.S. In contrast, we found comparable Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 neutralizing titers in hamsters with pre-existing Wuhan-Hu-1 spike immunity after vaccination with Ad26.COV2.S, Ad26.COV2.S.529 or a combination of the two vaccines. Moreover, all three vaccine modalities induced equivalent protection against Omicron BA.2 challenge in these animals. Overall, our data suggest that an Omicron BA.1-based booster in rodents does not improve immunogenicity and efficacy against Omicron BA.2 over an Ad26.COV2.S booster in a setting of pre-existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
U2 - 10.1038/s41541-023-00633-x
DO - 10.1038/s41541-023-00633-x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85150694299
SN - 2059-0105
VL - 8
JO - npj Vaccines
JF - npj Vaccines
M1 - 40
ER -